After a little in-room, French Press coffee followed by breakfast in the restaurant, we headed out to explore Canada’s Pacific Rim National Park.
Our first stop was the Ucluelet visitor center where we didn’t buy anything – no mugs, no t-shirts, nothing.
Next stop was Wickaninnish Beach…
…which is apparently a popular spot for surfers, all of whom were wearing wet suits.
Our goal was to drive to and explore the town of Tofino…
…which we would have done if we could have found a parking place in town.
Like Banff, Gatlinburg and our own Estes Park, Tofino appears to be just another national park tourist trap packed with businesses designed to separate me from my money. Some people love those kinds of places, but not us. I’m glad we’re bunking in much more sedate Ucluelet.
Tofino and Ucluelet lie about 41 kilometers apart, and there’s a nice bike pathway connecting them. The round-trip ride would be a nice 50 miles. We have friends who would find that to be a pleasant morning ride.
Risking the fate of Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother, we stopped for a bathroom break at the Kwisitis visitor center.
Besides clean toilets, it offered some impressive, first nations’ displays inside…
…and views of Wickaninnish Beach outside.
The day was absolutely beautiful. Here, where folks go to storm watch, we were being treated to nearly perfect weather. From our balcony, we could look out on the water reflecting cloudless blue skies.
And since we came to Canada on a wine-tasting trip, we found yet another bottle of Kelowna’s best on the restaurant menu to enjoy with dinner.
